Lena's Third Summer
by SecretlyBeautiful
Summary: About Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Focus on Lena, desiding between Kostos and Paul.
1. Suprise?

A/N: You know I don't own the traveling pants, because if I did, I probably would have put it in the next book, not on the net. That said, enjoy the fic.  
  
**************************************************************************** ***** It was almost summer. That would have meant two things to Lena, time to take out the Traveling Pants and Kostos' first wedding anniversary. However, Lena wasn't thinking about the summer. Her mind was mostly on the boy sitting in her room. Of course it was hard to think of anything else when that certain boy was leaning in closer.and giving you a long, romantic kiss. Lena was the happiest she had been since last summer. Yet, it was a different person making her happy this time. Paul was amazing at taking at taking her mind off things. He wasn't too talkative, but lately neither was she. All of last summer's confusion and depression had not worn off yet. Now, though, it seemed to be disappearing three hundred times as fast. After they broke apart, Lena had an unstoppable, silly grin displayed on her face.  
  
As they were leaning in again for another go, a loud gasp and a slam of Lena's door interrupted them. Standing there in a slightly wrinkled, professional suit with a tie that seemed to have been through a lot of travel was a tall, out of breath man. Lena wasn't sure what to think of the unexpected stranger.  
  
*Oh, my God. No, it can't be. * "K.. K.Kostos? Wha.. What are doing here?" Her first instinct was pull him toward her and kiss him like nothing had ever happened. Her second reaction was to slap him. Then she realized she could do neither, for she was on a date with Paul.  
  
Lena wasn't the only one looking completely bewildered. Paul only gave a small hint of his confusion, while animated Kostos showed all his emotions. His face included happiness, anxiousness, perplexity and a sad understanding of the situation. The two males in her bedroom (a rare occurrence) kept staring at each other, which prompted Lena to do introductions.  
  
"Kostos, this is Paul. Paul, Kostos." Lena didn't dare go any farther; she had no idea what kind of trouble that would cause. She did not have to go on because Kostos immediately asked if they could talk. Lena agreed, and whispered, "I'll be right back," to Paul. He sensed competition, so he gave her a small, sexy smile.  
  
When they got downstairs and outside, Lena felt her first idea of giving him a passionate kiss pulse through her body. Before she acted on it, she had to ask, partly sarcastically, "So, how's married life?"  
  
"Please, Lena, I know you probably hate me now, but let me get through this. I was a total asshole for.that. The baby was born early and died. Mariana and I realized that we did not love each other at all. I just came from finalizing the divorce. As soon as it ended, I had to come see you. I'm still wearing my suit. I threw the ring in our lake in Oia, to finalize it. I realize that you were on a date with.Paul was it? And I didn't expect you to be alone. I mean, I didn't.I just figured you were too beautiful for no one to have acted on you. I just hoped.maybe."  
  
"Stop." Lena said, studying his face with all its pain and excitement at once. She felt so torn. She knew he was deeply in love with her and she with him. But after what he did, and Paul to consider, she just could not be sure. So Lena did the first thing her mind could think up. She kissed Kostos deeply, then ran to her car and drove away from the whole mess.  
  
To commemorate the event, Lena drove to the A&P to buy cookie dough, her favorite forgiving snack. She saw replays of Kostos with her, his beautiful eyes seeing everything about her, uncovering her beauty even when she tried to hide it. She drove right to the Lincoln Memorial, Kostos' face still flashing in her mind. Lena remembered the stars, not a cloud in the sky. This sky seemed to mimic that night exactly. Parking was, again, not a problem since only one other car was in sight. Looking into the eyes of one of our greatest presidents, Lena asked him for help as she munched on her cookie dough. All of a sudden, she felt a cool breeze surround her, as if to say cool down and everything will turn out just fine. She took no time at all finding the clearing in the woods; she had been there a dozen times after he had ruined her life. Lying down, she felt warmth in the ground, as if a soul or angel was there with her. Smiling, she fell asleep. ******************************************************** A/N: Two last comments: Please Review! And, not that anyone else cares, but this is my second fan fic! I feel so accomplished! But, if you like this one, ya might want to check out my other one.please? 


	2. Memories in Midnight Black

No, I am not dead. But I have had writers block for.. months. BUT- thanks to Marimba Panda, I remembered people still do read the old fic. SO, thanks to her, here is a new chapter. ************************************************************************  
  
Lena woke up and suddenly took in her disorienting surroundings. The previous evening came slamming back to her in a rush of emotions. She groaned; where the hell was she supposed to go from here? Back to Kostos, her first real love that showed her the world and lit it with his smile? Or should she move on and keep dating Paul, the sweet shy boyfriend who had changed her whole outlook on life? Her head was spinning with endless possibilities. She was dizzy with confusion and it overtook her whole being. There was only one thing that she had clear in her mind - she had to talk with her sisters. But to first sort out something about this insane situation, she had to paint.  
  
When Lena's mind was clear enough to drive with out seriously injuring herself or anyone else, she went home in hopes in find paints and the sisterhood. But yet again, she was in for an unexpected surprise.  
  
Stepping into the kitchen to find the phone and a bucket of 'Red Rose', she saw the two people she hadn't wanted to see together - Kostos and her sister talking chattily to each other about recent events. A wave of memories hit her hard.  
  
*She was standing in her kitchen, just staring at Kostos. Their only exchange had been stares and Kostos' "Hi." She was so grateful for Effie demanding she sit. At least she had the pants. That was the only thing keeping up her hope. And the fact that he was here. *  
  
The only thing Lena was sure about was that she didn't want a repeat performance. She rushed upstairs before either of them could say a thing. She could do without red for a while. But red represented love, anger, fire and so many other emotions other colors just couldn't begin to compete with. And red was one of the many things that could explain the way she was feeling. Chucking a rock out of the window was also a viable possibility. Or she could aim at his head.  
  
Lena decided this was not the best approach. She sat down, huddling on the floor as she began to stir the 'Midnight Black' she had stuck in her closet. As the gray began to fade from the canister into a dark, hard black color, Lena's vision began to haze over with stinging tears.  
  
Damn him. He had to have left. He had to come back. He had to keep torturing her, stealing her heart, and then crushing it into pieces. She was just beginning to pick up the broken shards and place a few together when he appeared. He materialized right in front of her eyes. And in front of Paul's.  
  
The tears had begun to trickle down the sloped plain of her cheek, cascading over every curve and splashing into a puddle at her bare feet. Kostos. And Paul. She suddenly remembered one thing from the short visit to the kitchen - Paul had left. That only made the sobs and shakes harder and more frequent. This wasn't happening. It was all her imagination. All of it.  
  
If only she could believe that, everything would have been so much easier. That was the last coherent thought she formed before succumbing to the midnight blackness of angst-y sleep.  
  
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Authors Note: Please vote: Do you think she should end up with Paul or Kostos? I have been puzzling over the question myself. Thanks for hanging with me on this!!! 


	3. Red Rose SOS

Thank you, again, for all the lovely reviews I have continued to get. Those of you who have reviewed, (Dianne, candc, Mr. Bean, Kougagurl666, rozamatic90, sunni07, Sarai, chidi, Hillton, Rachel, Perfectme100, legofiance, Marimba Panda, BambooShoots, Hillary, harrys little helper, Dara finVidya, Jill, HyperClayrPrincess, Beena-Pani and SilverLockk) you guys are great. BUT I would like to send an extra special thank you to Insync91489 for sending me a personal e-mail telling me to start writing again. You are amazing. I have an excuse- I just moved and have not been able to find my computer in all the boxes, but still, I have let you guys down. As of now, I will be trying to do weekly updates. Of course you must notice the word trying. But I will do my best. And on with the show! Err.... chapter.

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She loved that sound. The sound of paint hitting canvas with the aid of a brush. That was the one sound that could- would – take her troubles all away. In her mind, there was no Kostos. There was no Paul. There was no one; just Lena mixing colors on a lovely summer day.

But somehow, this time there was more. Because although Lena's mind was just mixing paints to cover the stark white of bare canvas, the combination of smears began to take shape. It was as if her body was on autopilot. It formed three distinct images. One was a man's silhouette with animated features and the clear details of a Greek nose. Although there was another male head to face the first, this one differed. It was made of small, shy strokes and more delicate features. In the middle of the pair of dominant figures, there lay an almost hidden heart with a slit down the middle painted in "Red Rose." And if you looked closely enough, you might discover the petite broken heart mirrored in two celery green eyes that threatened to water.

Carmen drove as quickly as possible over the speed bumps that lined Lena's neighbor hood. With her, she had brought the Pants. Carmen, who was to have the first shift of ownership, felt that Lena needed whatever support she could get. After getting an S.O.S. call from Effie saying something along the lines of, "Come. Lena. Both boyfriends. HELP!" Carmen was positive that this was a pants-worthy situation.

"Effie, I came as soon as I..." Carmen's booming, worried voice trailed off as soon as she say the tall stranger sitting calmly in the middle of the expansive kitchen. Carmen, although surprised, was trying to figure how she could meet this new person but get to Lena as swiftly as humanly possible.

"Hi, I'm Carmen," she began slowly, still working things out in her head.

"Hello, Carmen, I'm Kostos," Kostos said politely but simply, nodding his head in recognition. _Ah, so this is the infamous Kostos. I would stay and get to know this polite sleaze-bag, but I have to go help his ex-girlfriend. Poor Lena. _

"Um, Effie?" _A little help here?_ Carmen tried to signal Lena's younger sibling with her non-existent mental powers.

"Oh, yeah. I think Lena left your sandals in her bedroom." Carmen thanked Effie silently for being so intuitive. And clever. Well, whatever she was, it got her to Lena.

"Nice meeting you, Kostos!" Carmen called as an after thought, running up the stairs. She heard a faint, "You too, Carmen," from below her but continued on her search.

Finally, she reached for Lena's doorknob and pushed her door ajar. She breathed in sharply, her eyes widening at the sight. After swinging the door completely open, Carmen sighed. She was surrounded by paintings and the smell of turpentine filled the air. Carmen could recognize the same three images over and over again. Her eyes were drawn to the flaming red hearts. The bright red broken hearts. Eventually, she discovered the artist buried behind two large canvases, finally noticing the intruder.

"Oh, Lena," Carmen breathed before rushing over to give her friend a sisterly hug. She could already tell there was much to this story, and if it was anything like last summer, Lena was soon going to hit rock bottom. In fact, Carmen thought she had seen a picture depicting that exact thing. Oh, this was bad.

&


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